The usual flawless Schilke craftsmanship - attention to detail and the best valve action on the planet. Intonation is very good (not perfect). The top model Kanstul plays as well, if not better and is hundreds of $$$$ less expensive! No valve intonation adjustments on the P4-5. The Schilke would be a "10" except for price. Check out the Kanstul and decide for yourself.

Anonymous

Review Date: 1/11/2005

Would you recommend the product? No |
Price you paid?: $2,500.00
| Rating: 7

Pros:

tone

Cons:

price

I find this horn better than average in quality and sound. Kanstul makes some similar models that are just as good, and cost a lot less.

Top-shelf craftmanship - will last a lifetime (or 2!). Very good to excellent intonation but, the Kanstul 1520 does the same for much less bucks! Check-out the Kanstul before you buy the Schilke - you could save some serious cash!!

I purchased the P5-4 MA modification (has an extra slide to put the horn in the key of "G" on the "A" side). I've played Getzen, Benge, and a few others and this is the horn to own...forget all the negative comments on price, if you're serious about owning a quality picc, this is the horn to have!

I'm going to rate it a 10 because I paid a lot of money for it. I've never even played another picc, so maybe I'm not the greatest judge, but I love this horn. I'm getting through Brandenberg 2 pretty well and like how I can just fly through the high-G sections.

I bought this horn about 7 years ago [1999] and I'm a complete recreational player. Take it for what it's worth. I'm sure other horns play as well for less cash. Good luck and have fun!

I had this trumpet custom made and I can definitely say that it is the best piccolo I have ever played! I have played Bach, Stomvi and Kanstul and I can definitely say that Schilke is the choice of the pros for so many reasons. Yes, Kanstul may be cheaper, but in my opinion, the sound is unparalleled to the P5-4. If you want to save money on a picc, fine. However, true quality instruments usually have a quality pricetag to reflect their craftsmanship and reliability. I'd buy Sears Craftsmen tools over Wal-Mart tools and pay the difference for quality, wouldn't you? If you can afford one, go for the Schilke, you won't be disappointed!

Anonymous

Review Date: 5/24/2006

Would you recommend the product? No |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 1

Pros:

I've been racking my brain for hours and still can't come up with any!

Cons:

How long have you got?!!!

Am I missing something? All these people who seem more than happy to wax lyrical about the joys of the Schilke Piccolo............ either you've got one that's fallen from heaven or I'm the unluckiest trumpeter that ever lived!!! I bought my Schilke when I was a poor student and found it really difficult to scrape the money together. From the outset my instrument has been a real DOG and I thought it was my duff playing that was the culprit until I tried playing a Selmer and Schertzer. It seems quite obvious to me that this instument is built in Bb (where the intonation is marginally bare-able) and is completely useless in A ( intonation? - let's not go there!). On top of all that the sound quality is very 'tinny' and completely unsuitable for we Europeans. I can't imagine EVER doing a Brandenburg on a Schilke since its brightness will only add to balance problems. Anyway, enough dirt dished up on this one. I wait in anticipation for some airline to either lose or trash this instrument!!!!!

I play a Goldplated Schilke P5-4BG model. BG=Butler/Guyer model and has a first and 3rd slide thumb hook and ring. This set up should be standard on the P5-4 for a horn in this price category and helps improve intonation for D's and A's.
All the Gold plated Schilkes I've played have a richer, fuller, more beautiful tone than the silver ones which are very good to begin with. However gold is soft and the plating thickness is only 2/10,000 of an inch so you will have to handle it gently to prevent wear and tear.
Valves are excellent. Keep them well oiled and use Blue Juice. Its the thinnest oil around and will keep them moving freely. Watch out for those thicker oils that slowly gum up the ultra tight clearances. Slides fit well and overall fit and finish of this horn is good as they should be.
The only things I would like to see on this horn are a third slide water key standard and a little beefier double thumb screw mechanism for the tuning crook. Other than that, it is probably the best piccolo made and holds its value better than any other trumpet should you resell it one day.

The best valve piccolo I played.
BUT the sound is always bright, you should make some effort to maky it darker, or working with some mouthpieces.
Easy to play.
COMPLAINT: WHY NOT A THIRD SLIDE RING ???

This horn can perform very well, but needs a good varm-up in order to get
the intonation on spot, where everything has to be perfectly aligned.
Playing most Bach (Christmas oratorio, Brandenburg #2 etc.) I need
a strong projection which this horn can give me. It needs to be kept
in top condition to perform, and then it works...

Best Piccolo I have ever played, the bore is not too big but the sound can be variety from Baroque music to 20th century, and from solo, chamber music to orchestral pieces. A bit difficult to adjust the intonation without the ring for 1st and 3rd valve slides. I had to add it (3rd valve) by the local repairman and it works well (and probably cheaper)

Anonymous

Review Date: 10/19/2007

Would you recommend the product? No |
Price you paid?: $2,789.00
| Rating: 5

Pros:

It seems very nice and i played a few P54 was great

Cons:

The dealer and Schilke service is awful

First of all, i have many great other Schilke products. E3L which i bought from Bertram Music is a great horn. Schilke send their good products to Bertram if you want a Schilke and you live even in US go to Frieburg and buy from there.
Why? I will explain.
I ordered a P54MA from Schilke they told me Rayburn have one i ordered from them, they bring it to ITG Conference to give me... I received them from them.
And After i back to my country i play it carefully. The valves were aligned wrongly. I have great teachers and great players around. Even Maurice Andre i studied...
Schilke company told me to send it and if they were find a problem they wiould fix it and send me back and pay all the postage.
I sent ad they told me they haven't found anything wrong, I called one of my teaches in the US (a well known one). I told Schilke to send it to this person.
And they were in panic i guess...

And after a while i told them to send my trumpet back.

They send it back and it was fixed.
It plays well now but they didnt wanted to agree that it was wrongly aligned... and they havent paid the postage which was around 400$

I wont buy a schilke product by that way... i will go and choose , you need to do the same
never trust them

I love this picc. After playing a couple of selmer piccs, I have been playing on this horn and I was struck by simply how easy it was to play. The sound seems pretty even across the registers too. My one real problem is the amount of air needed above the staff (well, above the staff for a regular horn) in order for to play in tune. The low d/c# also could use some way of tuning, but i've found you can get them acceptably in tune with drawing out the slides
Above all, its just fun to play. The horn is my school's, so I don't know if its worth the money, but if you get a chance, definitely consider this horn

I bought this horn new over 15 years ago, hence the 1600 price. When I bought it the only other picc that compared to it was the Stomvi. This horn has been a trusted, reliable friend for many years. It virtually plays itself, and has saved my ass many times when my chops were dog tired and/or out of shape. I recently switched from Schilke to GR mouthpieces for this horn, and I feel like I'm born again!! The GR pieces make this horn sing like Schilke never did! I use a 66P-M when I need to play high and/or sound bright, and with the 66P I can play as dark as a Selmer. High F pops out with ease with either GR. This is a relatively free-blowing horn, so those used to the "stuffy" horns like the Selmer may find it difficult to adjust to it. However, for most players it's an easy transition from regular Bb to this horn. I find it plays most in tune in the key of A.

Excellent design and constrution, very smooth valve action, intonation is exceptional through the full range of the instrument, nice full tone with good center or heart, project very well, and a great deal of fun to play. This insrument has never let me

Cons:

My particular instument does not have first or third valve adjustment mechanisims. I will have trigger mechanisms installed in a few months. The arn is more than effective without them but I do like to have the capability to adjust intonation while play

The Schilke P5-4 Piccolo Trumpet is an excellent instrument with many fine qualities. The P5-4 has not let me down, ever. The horn is responsive at all dynamic levels including the lightest pianissimo or Sotto voce.

Over the years I have tried Bach, Selmer, and Getzen piccolo trumpets and I have concluded that, for me, the Schilke P5-4 is the best choice. I really like the P5-4. The horn is great fun to play.

A fine pic that was once the benchmark. I almost bought this horn until I tried a Bach VBS 196 and the choice was easy. Intonation only ok. Very restrictive in my opinion

Bach VBS 196 had a Reeves alignment out of the box, very open tone at all dynamics and intonation is the best. Also tuning ring 3rd valve and a slide for G for Bach isstandard. Schilke is a big upchargefor the slide.

Great in its heyday but the Bach VBS 196 is a clearly superior piston picc in all aspects in my opinion.

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